Full transcript of Alexis Tsipras statement:
Greek citizens,
We are at a critical juncture regarding the future of this country.
Sunday’s referendum is not about whether our country will stay in the Eurozone.
This is a given and no one should question this.
On Sunday we will choose whether to accept the institutions’ agreement or whether, with the strength of the people’s verdict, we will seek a viable solution.
In any case, I want to reassure the Greek people of government’s firm intention to reach an agreement with its partners, with conditions that are sustainable and will provide for the long-term.
Since we announced our decision to hold a referendum, better proposals have been offered concerning the debt and its necessary restructuring than those that were on the table on Friday.
We did not ignore them. We immediately submitted our counterproposals asking for a viable solution, and for this reason an extraordinary Eurogroup meeting was convened yesterday, which will continue this afternoon.
Should there be a positive outcome, we will respond immediately. In any case, the Greek government remains willing to negotiate and will do so until an agreement is reached. The government will be at the negotiating table on Monday as well, immediately after the referendum, seeking better terms for the Greek people.
A popular verdict is always so much stronger than the will of a government alone. And I would like to reiterate that democratic choice is a core European tradition. During very important moments in European history, the people have made important decisions through referenda.
This happened in France, and in many other countries, concerning the referendum on the European constitution. This happened in Ireland, where the referendum temporarily voided the Treaty of Lisbon and led to a renegotiation, that resulted in better terms for Ireland. Unfortunately, in Greece’s case, we’ve been subjected to different standards.
Personally, I would have never expected that democratic Europe would not understand the need to give some space and time to a people to sovereignly make a choice about their future.
The prevalence of extreme conservative forces led to the decision to asphyxiate our country’s banks–with the obvious aim of blackmailing not just the government, but each each citizen individually.
It is unacceptable in a Europe of solidarity and mutual respect to have these disgraceful images:
For the banks to be closed, exactly because the government decided to give the people the opportunity to express their will;
And for thousands of elderly people to be deeply inconvenienced. However, the Greek government, despite the financial asphyxiation, took the appropriate measures and made sure that pensions were paid and deposited into the accounts.
We owe an explanation to these people who have been so inconvenienced:
We have been fighting all these months in order to protect your pensions.
To protect your right to a decent pension and not a miserly “tip”.
The proposals that they tried to blackmail us in order to accept demanded huge pension reductions.
And we refused to go along with this.
And this is why they are retaliating today.
The Greek government was given an ultimatum to implement exactly the same austerity measures, and all the outstanding aspects of the memorandum that had not been implemented.
And, in fact, without any provisions on the debt and financing.
This ultimatum was not accepted.
The self-evident alternative was to reach out to the people.
And this is what we have done.
I am well aware that during this period the sirens of destruction have been blaring.
They are trying to blackmail you as well, and ask that you vote YES on all the measures requested by the institutions, without any prospect of exiting the crisis.
They want you to side with those in Parliament who have repeatedly said YES to all the measures that have burdened the country.
To become one with them.
Complicit in perpetuating the memoranda.
It is important to understand, NO is not just a slogan.
NO is a decisive step towards a better deal that we aim to be signed immediately after Sunday’s result.
It constitutes the clear choice of the people concerning how their lives will be going forward.
NO does not mean breaking with Europe, but rather, returning to a Europe of values.
NO means: strong pressure for an economically viable agreement that will solve the debt issue, that will not increase the debt so that it continuously undermines our efforts to rebuild the Greek economy and society.
A socially just agreement that will allocate the burdens to those that can shoulder them, and not the workers and the pensioners.
An agreement that will allow the country, in a short period of time, to access the international financial markets, and thus end the supervision and guardianship.
An agreement containing reforms that will punish, once and for all, those who enable corruption and that have been fueling the political system all these years.
And at the same time, it will address the humanitarian crisis, create a comprehensive safety net for those who are marginalized–precisely because of the policies that have been implemented in our country for so many years.
Greek citizens,
I am fully aware of the difficulties.
I personally pledge that I will do everything possible so that these difficulties are temporary.
Some insist on linking the referendum’s result to the country staying in the euro.
They claim that I have a hidden agenda, if the NO vote prevails, to remove the country from the EU.
They are knowingly lying.
These are same people who used to say the very same thing in the past.
And they do a great disservice to the people and to Europe.
As you are aware, a year ago during the European elections, I was a candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission.
I stood before the Europeans then, just as now, and I argued that austerity policies must stop, that the memoranda will not lead to an end to the crisis.
That the program implemented in Greece failed.
That Europe must stop behaving in an undemocratic manner.
A few months later, in January 2015, the Greek people confirmed these sentiments.
Unfortunately, certain people in Europe refuse to understand this, refuse to admit this.
Those who want a Europe of authoritarianism that fails to respect democracy, those who wish for Europe to be a superficial union with the IMF being the “glue” that binds, are not visionaries for Europe.
They are timid politicians, unable to think as Europeans.
They stand side by side with those in our domestic political system, who are responsible for leading our country to bankruptcy, and that now have the gall to attempt to dump the burden on us–even as we’ve been trying to put an end to the country’s course of destruction.
They dream, indeed, of being restored to power.
This is what they’ve been hoping for—and still hope for, irrespective of whether we accepted the ultimatum–as they have blatantly sought an unelected Prime Minister who would implement it– or whether we gave our people the opportunity to express their will.
They talk of a coup. But democracy is not a coup. Unelected governments intent on manipulating circumstances—that is a coup.
Greek citizens,
I want to wholeheartedly thank you for the calmness and composure you’ve shown during every hour of this difficult week.
I want to assure you that this situation will not drag on.
It will be temporary.
Salaries and pensions will not be lost.
The deposits of citizens who did not withdraw their money or place it abroad will not be sacrificed on the altar of expediency and extortion.
I personally assume responsibility for reaching a solution immediately after the democratic process.
I urge you to strengthen this negotiating effort with your support, I invite you to say NO to the memorandum measures that are destroying Europe.
I invite you to respond positively to the prospect of a viable solution.
To turn a page, that calls for upholding democracy.
With the certain hope that we will reach a better deal.
We owe this to our parents, our children, ourselves.
It is our duty. We owe this to history.
Thank you.
I’m fond of Tsipras, but I do wish he’d shut up about how staying in the Eurozone is eternal and unquestionable, amen. It isn’t, Greece should leave and probably so should Spain and Ireland, and quite likely Portugal and Italy. And even if all else equal he’d really prefer to stay, refusing to even entertain the idea weakens his hand politically.
Do you think so? any hint now of leaving Eurozone would bring screaming accusations of wanting to break up all of Europe. Of also leaving the EU. Of selfishly bringing disaster to “the whole world”.
EU sees Greece leaving the Eurozone as fatal for the EU (because the other southern nations would follow). If that risk was there they would stop at nothing to replace Tsipras, NOW, in the next few days. No time for a colour revolutions, so how do you think they’d do that?
If that fear, combined with a solid NO vote, can get the robbers to cancel half the debt, and get conditions they can survive with, things might be different in a year. But first they need to not lose the depositors’ funds, and they need everyone to start eating again. He’s been doing a high wire balancing act for months, I’m amazed he still hasn’t fallen. I for one am not going to shout BOO at him right now.
Staying in the Eurozone, or even EU, is just a goat trying to negotiate how fast the wolf will eat it.
If Tsipras is worried about being assassinated (which is not so easy if properly protected) he should take into account what that would do to affect the attitudes and resolve of the Greek people, as well as the rest of the world, and the damage done to the empire, and the oligarchs. Bowing down to such treats is also a slap in the face to the Greeks and the touted Greek democracy.
If other nations follow the example and quit, Greece can’t be blamed: the blame is on the fascist banksters, and that could no longer be disguised.
There comes a point on a sinking ship when people understand it’s sinking and ‘there is no alternative’ to jumping overboard and looking for a lifeboat, or bit of floating wood — and there are a few resources for floating on which can be expected to be found (such as BRICS). Bill Black and Michael Hudson, among others, are correct.
Well, if your point is that if he tried it they’d have him killed and/or invade, well, maybe, but it’s not really a point about what Greece needs.
What Greece needs is its own sovereign currency which it can print, devalue, inflate and so on, which will not allow international bond traders to hold it for ransom on interest rates because it’s dependent for its currency on a European Central Bank which is staffed mostly by once and future international bond traders.
While Greece’s debt is high, much of the problem has little to do with the debt as such, rather the interest rates it pays on that debt. Japan’s debt-to-GDP is higher but nobody worries about it because they pay at near-zero interest. But if Japan didn’t control its currency and interest rates, they’d be down the tubes too. Meanwhile, the rest of Greece’s problem is largely caused by the austerity itself; and the austerity itself is caused by blackmail, and the blackmail has strength because the people practicing it have Greece by the short and curlies, and they have Greece by the short and curlies because they control Greece’s currency, and their motivation for the blackmail comes from the system and their position in it.
So Tsipras might just be able to pull off a momentary victory within the Euro and buy some time, but the blackmail will restart almost immediately and never stop until either 1. Greece takes away the blackmailers’ leverage (by leaving the Euro), or 2. The system changes.
I guess Tsipras hopes the system will change–that there will be one, two, many Syrizas and Podemoses all over Europe, and Die Linke will get elected in Germany, and everyone will get a pony. It could happen but it’s not a political strategy–he’s a Greek politician and can have but little impact in Berlin, let alone Brussels.
He has to say that Greece is staying. Merkel has already made noises about using the “panic paragraph” in the EU charter to replace the government of Greece and put in “technocrats” to shove the EU “deal” through. Now the EU president is saying that the EU wants the Syriza regime in Greece overthrown. President Martin Schultz wants a transitional regime and after that the disappearance of the Tsipras Party (Syriza, I suppose, although he may mean Tsipras).
I believe it is dangerous for Tsipras to get to independent.
Excellent. The more EU screams and threatens…especially if they start to seriously threaten to change the government…….that will shows the whole world (but especially first the Greek people) that these negotiations are not talks, they are commands… that it is EU that demands they starve…. that they are total slaves. That is the last time they’ll ever use the “freedom and democracy” line on anyone. And the day the rest of them all start to rebel and break off their chains.
You don’t understand. The EU is not screaming, threatening; they are planning. If Tsipras gives them any excuse, they will pounce. A technocrat will be appointed, so “negotiations” can continue. The terms advanced by Merkel and Schäuble will be imposed. Greek assets will be seized and sold. And any unrest will be dealt with by the Greek NATO forces that have the EU to thank for not having austerity imposed on them.
Tsuki, you are correct, Greeks still remember the military junta of 1967–74.
I think if they actually ever tried that it would be the end for the EU.Not only would Greece rise in rebellion against them.But some other nations would exit the EU quickly.Not a single new country would join them.And you’d see mass “maidans” in several other EU countries as well.Overthrowing EU member governments by EU bureaucrats would be the “straw that broke the camels back”.
Quite so. It would quickly morph into a European war, and likely world war, and not only would all the rhetoric about no more wars in Europe and democracy and all be gone but military alliances would emerge, and nations around the world would have to get involved. It would be a showdown between the fascists and the free peoples — but including the free people within the fascist controlled nations. All the veils would be torn away and the fascists overthrown — perhaps even in the US.
This can’t be avoided, but it could be done peacefully instead of violently — much preferred of course — but it’s part of the collapse of the empire which is inevitable. The question to the fascists is :do you want to lose your empire but save your skins, or do want to hang from lamp posts? There is not way out for them now because they have already gone way over the line and can’t retreat to an earlier position. It’s just a matter of time and how it will go down.
Listen to what was said at the Delphi conference, from some major figures, right in the open. Too many people in ‘high places’ are calling the illusions for what they are.
I don’t know anymore. But, it would not be the first time. Joerg Haider in Austria was forced out. And then there is the maneuver to put Monti and his gaggle of technocrats in Italy. Each time the EU interferes, it becomes more extreme.
I’ve intercepted a secret communique:
There will be three questions on the referendum. The second will be if Greece should declare independence from the EU and the third will be if Greece should become a free republic in the Russian Federation. Discrete polling indicates that the vote will be over 90% in favor of both proposals and there are now plans underway for a tourist-sharing agreement between Greece and Crimea, with cruise ships making a holiday stopover in Istanbul.
I think that is total BS.A good idea certainly.But still BS.
My evil twin brother often write BS — part of his being evil.
But sometimes he plants interesting ideas that gets people thinking — in this case a comparison between the situation Greece was in and that of Crimea, both held hostage to fascists.
Greece could become part of the Russian Federation, but joining the Eurasian Economic Union / Community, Silk Road, BRICS, CSTO (and get out of NATO — Greece hardly can afford to be spending billions of Euros on NATO and military defense now), etc. could be very good for Greece (and is discussed), and would not stop it from trading with the EU unless the US or EU got in more of a snit. Just shuffle eastwards. Other countries can do that too (even Iran). Could even do a bit of gerrymandering (old US tradition, after all) in realigning as preparation for the the US/EU empire moving to a retirement village to live out its final days.
And then there is a pipeline…
Yes, Greece should become part of Russia. If Greeks are really serious about ragaining their pride and freedom, they cannot seriously reject this.
In Austria, 260,000 people signed a EU exit petition, forcing the parliament to a debate about a
referendum on the issue. Many changes ahead in Europe!
I hope most Greeks saw or read this, or got an accurate summary of what Tsipras said. They have a chance to fight back against this zionazi/nazi bankster cabal that has pushed them up against the wall. I hope they have the brains not to blow it.
The Greeks should vote NO….BUT; They MUST first ensure that the NO votes are actually counted and that the outcome is not rigged, otherwise they will be disappointed like the Scots and become slaves forever.
The interesting thing is that the move to go to a referendum has caught the EU dictatorship completely flatfooted, and in the process, set in motion the clamour for more referendums to take place in other EU nations. The gangsters never anticipated that their monumental arrogance and callous inhumanity would inevitably unleash very powerful forces in people’s movements across Europe, to demand back the authority to make major decisions from unelected bureaucrats. Whatever the outcome of the Greek referendum, the project for a dictatorial EU political fascist state is now dead on arrival.
Greece – the free people (as opposed to their governments) are with you. Hold on, stand fast and stand tall. And do be careful with the handling of the referendum results. That lot will do anything to get their way and destroy you. They were successful in the Ukraine, Scotland – don’t let it happen to you.
There cant be huge election fraud in Greece.All parties have their own representative on each voting ballot plus a lawyer plus random citizens that are drafted to act as *overseers* (dont know how to name it in english) of the whole voting proccess and counting.
in the Scottish referendum a truck load of yes votes were blatantly wheeled away, never to be seen again
and on you tube you can also see a woman counting papers into two piles and swapping them around from one pile to the other one paper on the wrong pile could ne a mistake but on aanf on over two minutes she was observed doing that.
watching people vote is no security. what happens to the boxes in transit and after is what matters.
Stalin said something about about who counts the votes is crucial. te machines in the USA are frauds too a testimony of a programmer told of a small prograamme that switched votes and erased itself and would never be detected or proved and he should know, he was asked to write it by republicans in Florida.
“[.. ]otherwise they will be disappointed like the Scots and become slaves forever.”
I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if there was voting fraud going on at the Scottish referendum (same was being said – at the time – about the Irish EU second referendum).
Having said that.. The Scots voted against the SNP on the independence referendum.
But later, when they didn’t get what they’ve been promised by the ’Keep the Union’ side [the promise was; more autonomy for Scotland, basically], in anger at not getting what they’ve been promised, they voted in favor of the SNP at the UK general elections.
This resulted in an SNP landslide win, pushing Labour out of a whole bunch of seats, in turn, allowing Camoron’s party to win a majority mandate.
They are being played like a cheap, out of tune violin. They watch the BBC, and buy all the crap they have to sell them and then vote accordingly.
The Scots are a bunch of wimps. In the run-up to their referendum, they’ve got scared by the media that they would lose their English taxpayers’ subsidies (calculations estimate they receive around £ 3K per head a year more than their English counterparts do), so they panicked (especially the pensioners did) and national pride be damned!
Screw them! Scotland is not a country anymore as far as I’m concerned, they’re an English province now. And don’t even get me started on the Scots’ involvement in helping the English to take over of ‘Northern’ Ireland.
Meanwhile; there’s supposed to be an ‘in-or-out of the EU’ referendum in the UK in a couple of years time… the Scottish establishment is already making noises that in the case of England voting OUT, they want to stay IN. <That should tell you all you need to know about the "braveheart" Scots…
-TL2Q
Dear Mr, Tsipras,
On behalf of your highly revered partners of absolutely spotless European descent I hereby convey the following announcement: You are either with us or against us — agreed? Great. I believe you’re at least as committed to sticking to NATO and, consequently, that you wholeheartedly consent to aforesaid organization’s use of Souda Bay in Crete indefinitely for constant promotion of “European values” in the near abroad. You see, NATO will, in fact, contribute to the well-being of your country once Russia is finished off. By remaining a faithful disciple of ours, Greece will get her fair share of a really fat, juicy booty. That is our prospect. We expect you to comply and take action accordingly — agreed? Great. Thanks in advance.
OK, the lines above amount to an attempt to explain the function of Social Democracy in times of worsening imperialist crisis and decay. Tsipras’s real assignment is to keep the rotting edifice of EU together at any cost, a corollary of which is to keep Greece out of BRICS. Fortunately for Tsipras, there is a strong yearning among the Greek populaton for joint First World parasitic entitlement, come what may. I highly recommendthisweb link — the page linked to is a few years old but provides an excellent analysis of what Tsipras and Syriza have been assigned to deal with.
@ Nussiminen,
Q; OK, the lines above amount to an attempt to explain the function of Social Democracy in times of worsening imperialist crisis and decay.
R; I know very little about politics, but my gut feeling tells me you’re on to something.
Tsipras is admirable. The EU could transform itself into what it’s currently not with him at its helm. Podemos needs to have a similar performance and transform Spain. Populism’s bad image is the result of biased historians doing the work of the Oligarchy when in reality it’s the most powerful tool at the disposal of us commonfolk–the 99.9% Here within the Empire, Sanders is pushing for just such a Movement, and that’s exactly what’s required to overcome the coercive power aggregated/arrogated by the .1%
Populism’s the answer, and the time is Now!!
Tsipras is the trojan horse of europe.
I hope that the “No” vote may win, that Tsipras may NOT be killed, and that there may be NOT a colour revolution in Greece in the near future.
NO does not mean NO!
NO means YES!
Orwell???
The Greek debt crisis has is of vital importance to the future of Europe and the World. This politically charged economic collision in Greece, between good and evil, opens many wonderful opportunities for breaking with Sauron’s financiers and forging a worldwide path to Liberty.
As I have written on this website over the last few days, the Greek people have been sucked dry (as we say) by the world imperialist bankers. The previous debt restructuring agreements, as Syrikas government official Yanis Varoufakis says/admits in his interview (in the 2nd video above), have made the Greek economy worse, not better. The debt pyramid schemes forced upon Greece and other nations, make the people poorer, and destroy their economic infrastructure, rather that help, in any way, to forge economic progress.
Tellingly, his interview, and the statement of his boss, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, make it abundantly clear that what they (the Syrikas Group leaders), want, is to be a participating part of the imperialist Banker Oligopoly that is running the economies of Greece and the world into the ground. Listen to Varoufakis, read Tsipras! Don’t take my word for it. Don’t believe me! Check it out yourselves. There it is, in black and white!!!
There it is. Chrystal clear. Undeniable.
Conspiracy Theory:
And the poor terrified victim, (Mel Gibson), is tied to the chair and being grilled by Mr. Rothschild. He has his eyes taped open, and is being otherwise mistreated, and he asks; “What do I know? What did I get right?”
The Syriza are not part of the solution, they, like the Liberal Imperialist Democrat gang mishmosh in America, are part of the problem. They rise, and are given their time in the spotlight to mislead and misdirect the masses. Ms. Clinton, er. Varoufakis makes it clear in his interview that a Greek vote NO will be utilized by the Syriza leaders as a YES to remaining in the usurious EU monetary trap. All they want is a better deal from the bankers, nothing more.
The bell can clearly be seen around Tsipras’ neck. The Judas Goats will lead the Greek people to slaughter. Varoufakis repeats that the Syriza is politically radical left, while clarifying for all those paying attention, that the only thing ‘Radical’ about them is their insistence on remaining within the criminal imperialist system that is waging war against the people of East Europe, and much of the rest of the planet.
With war spreading east and south, from the Ukraine, across Transniester to Macedonia and the splintered pieces of Yugoslavia, and coming dangerously close to Greece’s borders, (as happened in 1940), The so-called ‘radical left’ Syriza coalition discusses deals with bankers, rather than designing a path to a Greece – free of debt slavery, and fear of war.
It is time for those within the Syriza coalition who have a smidgeon of honor, and those Greek citizens outside the (not even reformist) Syriza soup to come forward with clarifying energy, and insist that a NO vote, is just that. No means NO to the imperialist bankers. NO means no more looting by the Oligarchs, and NO means a Greece forging a fundamental shift away from the EU and an exit from NATO.
Let’s see who will step forward in Greece in the coming days. And we will see who will not.
There are no short cuts! There is no easy way!
For the Democratic Republics!
IMAGINE
yes, Peter..I liked the speech of the greek president a couple of days ago…and then the whole referendum took a dive…so yes. I agree with you.
Just to show how sick the Justice system in the USSA has become: after being tortured in Guantanamo and finally freed, there is now a judgement against this tortured person for over a hundred million, incredible.
http://sputniknews.com/us/20150702/1024141219.html
To me, this is just another confimation that the USSA empire is going downhill *all the way*. It will take time, but down is the trajectory….
He should sue the USA for $136 BILLION for the 8 years of torture, and use 10% of that to pay the award.
Nice to see the Canadian Supreme Court taking his side, the first decent thing I’ve seen come out of Canada for a while.
The Supreme Court is canadas last hope right now.
Tsipras uses language rhetoric similar to Putin when Putin calls the EU mongrels “partners” and “we would like to continue cooperation”.
Let’s wait and see what will happen on Sunday.
Brave NEW generation
This is a riveting piece about
Bitcoin, which was shot all
over the world and took three
years to make, as a student
film project.
Ulterior States: An IamSatoshi Production
http://www.ForbiddenKnowledgeTV.com/page/27361.html
“Being a one-man team allowed
for easier access to the subjects.
The enthusiasm and commitment
that saturate through the lens in
many parts of the film, expose
how the adopters of Bitcoin want
to explore, to probe and, to show
the world, something important,
otherwise overlooked…
“Through this journey, I got
immersed in the decentralized
crypto-currency culture and met
a bunch of wonderful futuristic-
pirates, I would have never met
otherwise…
“The collaged story explores code
as activism and discovers a melting
pot through the neutrality of a
decentralised consensus. It looks to
the future from different humanist
perspectives and argues that
crypto-currencies could lead towards;
community governed micro-state
applications.”
Thanks for the link. Will watch it.
This is the Delphi conference material on youtube. the news conference should be heard, but there are other good videos, such as that from Michael Hudson.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnzRNIZ79dczuuJStgo3tFw
links to videos of speeches — some in English
(Sadly, I find the audio to speech by Sergei Glaziev to be not understandable because of poor quality. Perhaps I will be able to find a way to filter it?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AEALxsSWRC4
Press Conference of the Delphi Initiative – 22/06/2015
1:08:29
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is wearing a very [tailor made] European suit, not something classically Greek.
That would have made his statement truly trustworthy, so, for now, it’s just another mother-load of white noise.
Carry on!
I really hope and I will pray for the Greek people to follow the path of the Island and finally end the tyranny of the banksters
I have a terrible feeling that Greece is an experiment, a first world society that has been sent into the abyss to ‘test’ certain ideas and techniques
Well, this man might agree
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/07/02/sundays-vote-will-determine-liberty-serfdom-paul-craig-roberts/
PCR is active on this issue, writing and giving links.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42263.htm
Greece – The Delphi Declaration
By Peter Koenig – on behalf of The Delphi Initiative
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42253.htm
Greece – The Way Out
By Peter Koenig
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/07/02/can-save-europe-james-k-galbraith/
Only the “No” Can Save Europe — James K. Galbraith
July 2, 2015 | Categories: Guest Contributions | Tags: | Print This Article Print This Article
James Galbraith Explains That The Independence of All Western Nations Is at State In Greece’s Sunday Vote
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/07/02/sundays-vote-will-determine-liberty-serfdom-paul-craig-roberts/
July 2, 2015 | Categories: Articles & Columns | Tags: | Print This Article Print This Article
Sunday’s Vote Will Determine Liberty Or Serfdom
Paul Craig Roberts
According to history books, democracy originated in Greece. Of course, historians could be mistaken, but this is the prevailing view among Western populations with enough awareness to be interested to know.
What we are witnessing today, July 2, 2015, is that after 2,500 years in the Western World only the current Greek government is interested in democracy. The Greek government, to the surprise and consternation of every other European government, has called a referendum for the Greek people to decide the fate of Greece. For resorting to democracy, the Greek government has been universally denounced in the Western World.
So much for Western democracy.
The greatest and most successful propaganda scam in history is the one that convinces the world that they are nobody if they are not part of The West, the indispensable peoples, the exceptional peoples. If you are not part of The West you are nobody, nonexistent, a nothing.
This prevailing propaganda might prevail in Greece on Sunday, in which case a fearful and intimidated Greek population might vote against the only government that, instead of accepting a payoff from Greece’s enemies, fought for the welfare of the Greek people.
If the Greeks vote for their oppressors and against their own government, democracy in the EU will cease to exist.
2,500 years ago Greeks saved their independence from the Persian Empire. Sunday’s vote will tell us whether Greeks have again served liberty or whether they have succumbed to Washington’s Empire.
The fate of all Europeans and of Americans themselves will be settled on Sunday.
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/07/01/greece-can-save-west-paul-craig-roberts/
Greece Again Can Save The West — Paul Craig Roberts
July 1, 2015 | Categories: Articles & Columns | Tags: | Print This Article Print This Article
http://beta.counterpunch.org/2015/07/01/wall-street-and-the-greek-financial-crisis/
If Greece doesn’t leave the eu and throw out nato and the western banksters there will only be Greeks and no Greece.
I hope that the Greeks will vote NO despite all blackmail attempts.
This is the official website for the referendum with information and current news in English.
http://www.referendum2015gov.gr/en/
(A little OT)
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States should write the economic rules for the rest of the world since it enjoys the strongest growth, President Barack Obama said in a speech at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse on Thursday.
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/us/20150702/1024142710.html#ixzz3eo9VGnmr
IMF / US has caved. Pressure on the US financial system? The puppets soon to follow and offer Greece a decent deal?
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/02/imf-greece-needs-extra-50bn-euros
The International Monetary Fund has electrified the referendum debate in Greece after it conceded that the crisis-ridden country needs up to €60bn (£42bn) of extra funds over the next three years and large-scale debt relief to create “a breathing space” and stabilise the economy.
According to the IMF, Greece should have a 20-year grace period before making any debt repayments and final payments should not take place until 2055. It would need €10bn to get through the next few months and a further €50bn after that.
IT IS A TRAP
They say they need billions BUT only on condition of reforms.
They are hoping the promise of $60 billion will make the people accept it, and then they can put on the same austerity conditions. They’re offering a 20-year grace period, but how much will the extra interest add up to in that time? They say they would want reforms to keep debt at 117% of GDP. They totally refuse to consider doing that by RAISING the GDP by improving the economy. How will the GDP go up if there is no employment because nobody has the money to buy any products because they don’t have jobs?
Then two former Prime Minsters come out to say the NO vote would kill the economy (clearly they’re angling to be chosen as the coup replacement). And the President of the Eu Parliament is again threatening an installed technocrat if they vote NO.
So they are openly saying, if a government does not go along with their demands, they will replace that government with a temporary one that signs on the dotted line. Then let the people have another election (between 2 lots of slaves) to live with an agreement made by a technocrat appointed by the people selling the loans. Great democracy that is! . Why bother getting anyone to sign anything?
Where I live even for a housing loan, the buyer and seller must not have the same lawyers, by law.
Those cloven hoofs sure are showing under those angelic helpful robes.
In reading between the lines in the MSM over the last few weeks the US appears very worried about stepping into the unknown, as in Greek default.
There seems to be a few different interests working against Tsipras/Syriza. All of them want Tsipras/Syriza out, but I suspect they have different end goals.
The US I have felt would prefer to do a deal, rather than take the risk of the unknown that will follow a Greek default.
No doubt they would try to set a trap but the fact that the IMF has admitted that Greece needs a lot more money and no repayments for twenty years is a huge concession.
Still Greece has not signed up to any deals as yet, so I think we have to wait till the fat lady sings on this one.
Very useful old old article, What is a neocon? very relevant.
/daddy-whats-a-neocon-ethnic-mafia-wars-is-the-usa/
Saker wrote of the “changing of the guard” between the Anglos and the Jewish Zionists. Useful to see how it developed.
If you’re attending a “Yes” rally in Greece this weekend , keep your eye out for Victoria Nuland. She’ll be giving out free cookies ! ( The catch being that you have to agree to vote against the interests of yourself and your countrymen , so that the rich can become richer , and then , richer still. )
http://everything-pr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/milk.jpg
( You’re expected to provide your own milk , but you should have guessed that would be the deal. )
Easy — take the cookies and then vote as you want to — lie about what you will do. That’s the new standard, universal in all parts of the empire.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/03/greece-referendum-highest-court-rule-legality
Europe’s top human rights body, the Council of Europe, has already said the vote falls short of international standards, because the poll was called at short notice and the questions asked are not clear. The Strasbourg-based organisation, which is not part of the European Union, recommends that voters should be sent “balanced campaign material” at least two weeks before a vote.
So now the Greece’s highest court has to rule whether it is legal to call a referendum with only 1 week notice.
They are trying EVERYTHING to stop it.
I hope Tsipras gets up and lists all these for his people. Look how hard they are trying to stop YOU having a democratic vote. What are they afraid of?
Gosh look at the graphs here. Ever since the 2008 crash Greece has been heading through the floor. Look at who is doing nicely at the top — and refuses to give them a crust of bread — the witch
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/02/greece-austerity-economists_n_7714148.html
Another demonstration of why being in the EU means a nation is no longer sovereign — even to when and if it can vote on something. Expect much more of this sort of thing as long as a nation in part of it.
They are already attempting to rig in advance by publishing polls claiming that the YES vote is way ahead at 47% to 43% for NO.
http://rt.com/news/271378-greece-memes-web-referendum/
Reminds me of a movie where the devil whispers darkly in someone’s ear to decide against his/her own best interests.
ZH has breakdown of issue here:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-03/complete-greek-referendum-walk-thru-when-how-what-expect-and-what-comes-next
Speculations are only from Wall St pov so not very interesting.
What IS interesting is the way the issue – continuity of existing globalist control over sovereign decision-making – is being wrapped in ever-expanding layers of confusion.
A good rule of thumb?
If the MSM wants/claims a YES outcome, the Greeks should vote NO.
YES means a continuation of bail-out on terms decided by the TROIKA that has caused the crisis: any adjustments of those terms will not change the locus of control.
A NO vote is a WHOLESALE rejection of the TROIKA, however T and V try to convince otherwise.
So yes, a real choice between EU and EEU will have to be put on the table eventually. Or the EU is reformed and TT P is cancelled so that it extends East – ‘from Lisbon to Vladivostok’.’That’s what Merkel is being paid to stop.
So the T and V show must go on for the time being.
(Apologies for caps – the formatting aid doesn’t work on my phone, so using them instead of italics.)
Ps Funny how the Rainbow Pridesters aren’t out in their usual droves. Would that be because they’d have to campaign for a YES, thus exposing their real backers?
“The Greek tragedy in the XXI century” by Manuel García to Blog del viejo topo. ( MUST READ ).
http://blogdelviejotopo.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/la-tragedia-griega-en-el-siglo-xxi.html
Epilog
According to historian Edmundo Fayanas in contrast to the non-payment of debts by Germany (as defeated in WWI and WWII) and despite the German debt forgiveness to 98% -see London Agreement of 1953 on the German debt- is astonishing and scandalous behavior of Germany with Greece during its financial crisis in 2010 as a total lack of historical memory by Germany becomes evident. Greek country was sanctioned war reparations to Germany since 1881, for their past conflicts. Such indemnities have never been canceled or forgiven by the Germans. Thus, in 1974, Germany got both PASOK and ND -socialistas-, recognized the historical debts and interests. We must take into account, as Fayanas that Germany has a historical debt with Greece that has never paid: Hitler invaded Greece in 1941 imposing a loan to the Greek country by 3,500 million dollars to fix the damage of the German military occupation. According Fayanas, finished World War II Germany rewarded Poland in 1956 and Yugoslavia in 1971 to 20,000 million leaving Greece without compensation despite having asked nine times to Germany. Updated in 2010, the debt of Germany with Greece would reach the figure of 163,800 million dollars in addition to the reparations that have been estimated at 332,000 million, ie, a total of 495,800 million, enough so that Greece will repay all debts caused by the financial crisis in Greece of 2010-2013 thus avoiding the suffering of the population led by Germany, which is who decides. Jacques Depla – French economist who was advisor to former French President Sarkozy-, calculated in 2011 the German debt with Greece 575.000 million.
Germany has been the country most favored by the so-called Marshall plan which allowed the country a quick economic recovery.
Recommended to all German citizens who believe the story, mainly published by tabloids as “Bild”, that they are giving something to the Greeks.
Indeed, you live a wonderful life thanks to those of home, of always, and your looting throughout history. Someday, one generation, will require criminal responsibilities, to you and pamphlets as “Bild”, on the carnage unleashed in the former Yugoslavia to the glory of your entrepreneurship.
Greece has indeed been suffering terribly; a fate continuing to this day. The bottom line is that Western imperialism manifests itself as an utterly criminal, merciless pecking order. You get the full picture if you look at Germany’s utter grovelling before the Zionazis and their Versailles treaty — the final so-called reparations were paid in 2010, a neat 92 years after the surrender of the Kaiserreich. Even more beautiful, the Allies were very happy to send in the former Kaiser army to burn, slay, and starve the peoples in Belarus and Ukraine while at the same time demanding hefty compensation for their own minor suffering.
Merkel knows very well indeed whom to obey and who to subject to a “Sonderbehandlung” Tsipras seems to understand this too. No “F**k the EU from his government; that’s for sure.
“Germany has been the country most favored by the so-called Marshall plan”
What does that mean, that Germany received the most money? That’s demonstrably false. The rest of this barely readable screed probably provides “facts” of a similar quality.
Stop the self-righteous fingerpointing. Scapegoating other peoples never lead to anything good.
“Stop the self-righteous fingerpointing. Scapegoating other peoples never lead to anything good.”
Here the only ones being marked with the finger and being scapegoats are the Greeks.
Apply yourself the tale friend.
Have you read the wonderful letter that your lovely German compatriot he dedicated to the Greeks? It is a shame. Fortunately the Greeks have a couple of…. balls.
Germany what have to do is to pay debts to the Greeks or discount from the debt owned. So clear.
And does not make yourself the victim here because some European says some truth about Germany when the Greeks take seven years listening and reading slanders mainly from government and the German people. Get used to receive the same medicine that you apply.
Finally, you may argue what you want but moderate your tone, please. That “stop”, sounds too authoritarian to my ears and, see, I do not take orders from you or your government. I am Spanish, you know? Basque to be exact.
Things will change soon. Take advantage, the bargain ran.
The slanders were overwhemlingly issued by the greeks who desperately wanted to blame someone else for their failures at home. Your self-constructed victimology, your grandiose self-righteous grandstanding in spite of all the facts and your genocidal hostility towards every single German tell unbiased observers all they need to know.
You made your bed yourselves, now lie in it.
Yours is called “projection”, something suffering all exceptionalists (The AngloZionist Empire and its lackeys), which tend to accuse others of what they practice.
Look, I have not insulted you, and I told you to argue what you want, but your only defense is to insult the Greeks and me.
Calling me “genocide” is the straw that breaks the glass of my patience with you. Henceforth, you will be ignored.
P.S: I leave you a Spanish saying: “Se piensa el ladrón que todos son de su condición”.
You made demonstrably false claims to shift the blame to the Germans. And you wanted to implicate even the general population (most anti-German propagandist at least include that much plausible deniability that they leave themselves the backdoor that they’re only talking about the German goverment, but not you.) So you were etnisizing the conflict unambiguously. That is hostile, it’s actually a hallmark of war propaganda.
Btw. running away doesn’t win you an argument.
We’re somewhere between Lord Acton and Otto von Bismarck, respectively…
“The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the people versus the banks.”
“The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions … but by iron and blood.”
“The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions … but by iron and blood.”
So it has always been,and probably always will be.Bismarck was arguably the greatest German diplomat/politician in history.He ranks with Richelieu,Talleyrand,and Metternich,as the molders of his age.I would argue if our side wins this struggle,historians will add Putin’s name to that list.If we lose……well,as another Hitler.
“…historians will add Putin’s name to that list.”
Uncle Bob,
They already have, but as you say, his profile remains in balance – Hitler for most of the West, Leader of the Sovereign Nations for the rest.
If the Hitler meme prevails, it will be a Pyhrric victory. I am confident that at some point relatively soon in historical terms, there will be a book written called Vladimir Putin and the Making of the Modern World.
(With a bow to Jack Weatherford’s great work on Genghis Khan, perhaps the great molder of everything that followed him.)
yes, it will be war without end…
As i said earlier, Greeks must be careful to take care of the vote, as Martin Armstrong advises too:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-02/martin-armstrong-troika-maneuvering-rig-greek-referendum
Stalin’s observation was interesting: ‘Those who vote decide nothing, those who count the vote decide everything’.
And how do we “know” Stalin said so? The usual coterie of self-styled Western intellectuals, right? Amusing this schizophrenic attitude towards the proverbial 1%. As soon as it comes to 20th century European history, there isn’t even the slightest little suspicion of the 1% resorting to outright lies and slander — not even of any crass self-interest. And yet, they are still exactly the same old filth as they are today.
Stalin is constantly being slandered for quite the same reasons as Putin today, mind you.
To add a little fuel to the fire, William Engdahl comes down on Varoufakis big time.
http://journal-neo.org/2015/07/03/what-stinks-about-varoufakis-and-the-whole-greek-mess/
Basically, Engdahl has reluctantly come to the conclusion that Varoufakis is a plant.
“…Varoufakis’s role is that of a Trojan Horse for the destruction of the entire Eurozone by the bankers and those Greek oligarchs”
This is starting to feel like when I heard the preliminary results for the Crimea Referendum =D
Official Greferendum Results Show “No” Landslide: Singular Logic Projects “Oxi” Victory
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-05/first-official-results-show-599-voted-no-95-votes-counted-real-time-updates
Eurogroup In Shock: Finance Ministers “Would Not Know What To Discuss” After Greferendum Stunner
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-05/eurogroup-shock-finance-ministers-would-not-know-what-discuss-after-greferendum-stun
Marine Le Pen, Anti Euro French Presidential Frontrunner, Applauds Greek Victory Over “EU Oligarchy”
“[..] European countries should take advantage of this event to gather around the negotiating table, take stock of the failure of the euro and austerity, and organize the dissolution of the single currency system, which is needed to get back to real growth, employment and debt reduction.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-05/marine-le-pen-anti-euro-french-presidential-frontrunner-lauds-greek-victory-over-eu-
–
UKIP’s Nigel Farage latest tweets regarding the news on the Greek referendum preliminary results:
“EU project is now dying. It’s fantastic to see the courage of the Greek people in the face of political and economic bullying from Brussels”.
+
“If these poll figures are correct, I commend the Greek people for calling the EU’s bluff”.
https://twitter.com/nigel_farage